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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28389984">diapause</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/davidstennant/pseuds/davidstennant'>davidstennant</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>daminette.mp3 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alfred and Cassandra make brief appearances, Established Relationship, F/M, Miraculous Side Effects, [health commercial narrator voice] side effects of miraculous usage include:, adopting the animalistic tendencies of your miraculous animal, it can unfortunately cause others around you to wonder what the fuck is going on, this can very well save your life however</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:49:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,341</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28389984</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/davidstennant/pseuds/davidstennant</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There was no way to interpret the cold's effect on her as anything but hypothermia.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>daminette.mp3 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2086989</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>578</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>diapause</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>[mushu voice, rising from the abyss of completed assignments and exams] I LIVEEEEEEEEEE</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>diapause</strong><br/>
/ˈdʌɪəpɔːz/</p><p>
  <em>Zoology</em>
</p><p><br/>
<em>noun</em>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>a period of suspended development in an insect, other invertebrate, or mammal embryo, especially during unfavorable environmental conditions.</p>
</blockquote><p>
  <em>verb</em>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>(of an insect or other animal) undergo a period of suspended development.</p>
</blockquote><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>"<em>Marinette</em>!" </p><p>Damian bursts through the freezer, heavy boots thudding over the hum of the compressor, and runs ahead of them. Nightwing halts to a stop just after the doorway, his eyes settling on a body not to many paces away. A sorrowful breath leaves him, his hands almost releasing the blanket in his hands, "Oh no."</p><p>Marinette...Marinette was unmoving as she lay on the floor. She's still wearing her clothes, unlike many people who would have shed their clothes for warmth before death inevitably claimed them, but she was definitely not conscious. In fact, she looks peaceful. If Dick didn't know any better, he'd think she was simply asleep. But, he can see that her lips were a slight tinge of blue, as well as the tips of her fingers. Her complexion was unnaturally pale.</p><p>Damian's on his knees, using a hand to rouse her. "Marinette....wake up for me." His voice was a whisper, hysteria edging into it. When his attempts to nudge her awake hadn't worked, Damian goes to check for a pulse with trembling fingers. He could probably feel how cold she was, even through his gloves.</p><p>Tim swears, moisture gathering in his eyes before he glances off to the side. Cassandra watches the scene a little behind them, emotion swirling in the depths of her eyes. Dick understands.</p><p>Marinette was someone they've gotten to love for the three years she's known Damian, and by extension them. She was a welcome presence in Damian's life, someone who they've grown to love as a little sister, not just their brother's girlfriend. There was a reason they call her "Sunshine"; her natural brightness was blinding, and had the ability to get through even the most stoic of men. Damian was one of the many examples. So to see her now, so void of life, so dull and still, so cold....</p><p>They didn't have the heart to tell Damian that she was dead, that attempting to find her pulse was meaningless. She wouldn't have been able to survive in this piercing, numbing temperature of fifty-five degree Fahrenheit. There's only been one person who had, and even recovered, but....</p><p>With the way her head lolls to the side, away from his touch, that wouldn't be a possibility for her.</p><p>"Marinette...<em>please wake up</em>," Damian keeps trying, and the desperation is much more evident now. "Please please <em>please</em>, I need you to wake up."</p><p>Something warm slips down his cheek, and Dick realizes that he's crying. He exhales, and closes his eyes as he steels himself. He couldn't just stand here and cry, because of the three of them, he was going to have to be the one to get her out. Damian absolutely wouldn't move — he'd be too overcome with emotion to understand that there was nothing more they could do, that he could do. He'd probably even fight them when he'd have to separate from her. And Tim....</p><p>He glances over at his brother, where he was attempting not to cry himself.</p><p>Dick's not going to put him through the task of watching over her body until Gordon and his squad gets there. Cassandra would be composed enough, but he needs her with the two of them.</p><p>"Red Robin. Black Bat," he quietly calls, talking past the lump in his throat and the tremble in his voice. When his brother slowly picks his head up to look at him and she turns her head to face him, he orders, exhaling heavily, "Get him out of here."</p><p>He didn't have to elaborate who 'him' was. Tim stares at the teenagers for a heartbroken moment, before clearing his throat and walking forward. Cassandra frowns, but follows after him. Dick does the same.</p><p>"No," leaves Damian when Tim pulls him back by the arms, and Dick attempts to get a good grip on Marinette's body. "No, no, no — let me go!" Dick's able to bring her in his arms, and Cassandra manages to get a strong hold on Damian using all her strength, and the two are able to hold him back when the teenager fights to get out of their grip. "Let me go! Richard, please! Please, we can still save her! We can still — "</p><p>"Red Robin," Dick says, between Damian's pleas. "Out."</p><p>"It's too late, Damian." Tim whispers, and his eyes are still glassy. "There's nothing else we can do."</p><p>"Let <em> go </em> of me, Timothy. No, we — we can't just <em> leave </em> her like this! <em> Let go of me </em> — "</p><p>Dick turns away from his brother, not able to observe his brother cries, and gazes upon Marinette. There was a saying about the cold, and having experienced hypothermia for himself, he knows it to be true: Nothing burns like the cold. But only for a while. Then it gets inside you and starts to fill you up, and after a while you don't have the strength to fight it. The hypothermia must've been horrible for her, but only for a while. And during her last moments where she didn't have the strength to fight it, she must've been holding out hope that they'd be there for her soon, that they'd save her.</p><p>He shudders out a breath, tears building once more as he covers her with the blanket he had brought with him, originally to warm her up when they found her. Now, he simply wraps it around her out of respect and hugs her closer, despite how frigid her skin feels. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm <em>so sorry</em> we weren't quick enough."</p><p>And, it's with the close hold on her that allows him to feel the <em>tiniest</em> shift of something between them.</p><p>Inhaling sharply, he glances her over once more. The movement came from around her stomach, where her arm had lay between it and his chest. But....there was no way. There was no way she could still be alive after being stuck here for so long.....</p><p>His earpiece crackled to life, Bruce's voice coming through. "Nightwing, talk to me. Gordon's on his way here — "</p><p>Dick ignores him for a moment, hastily tearing off his glove to press two fingers to her neck. Ignoring the chill of the freezer, he keeps himself still and <em>waits</em>.</p><p>The area under his fingertips pulse once, twice, three times. </p><p>It wasn't as strong as it should be, but it was <em>there</em>. Damian might've done it before, but either: (1) he was hysterical, and could've easily overlooked it in his panic or (2) he actually <em>had</em> felt her pulse and they had just...dismissed it. </p><p>Either way, she was....alive. She was still <em>alive</em>. </p><p>As if to reaffirm it, a tired, almost disgruntled groan emits from her, and her body actually shuffles closer to his, stopping only when her body was perfectly nestled against him. Dick's frozen, because well — he's still attempting to get over the whole Marinette still being <em>alive</em> thing. And then her eyes actually crack open, squinting up at him with a grimace. </p><p>"....Marinette," Dick questions, wanting to be absolutely sure this wasn't some grief-laced hallucination. "Are you with me?"</p><p>She still gazes up at him, her eyebrows tilted downwards to help aid the fierce expression on her features. Eventually, she says, "S'cold, Richard."</p><p>The relief washes over Dick so heavily that his vision swims for a moment. "Oh, thank god. Oh, fuck." He jumps-starts into action, ensuring that his grip is strong on her before he gets up, running out of the freezer. He feels her shiver under his touch. "You'll be okay, Marinette. We'll get you warm, I promise." </p><p>"Nightwing. What is going on?"</p><p>"She's alive." His words tumble over themselves as he rushes through the corridors. Warm air envelops him, and he hopes it melts her. "She's alive and we need to get the med-bay set up." There were blankets in the batmobile for situations like this, and he'd ensure that she's bundled in them. Marinette whines in protest as his running shuffles her about, keeping her from getting too comfortable.</p><p>"What do you <em>mean</em> she's alive?"</p><p>"I <em>mean</em>," he responds to Tim. "She's breathing and even spoke to me just now." He returns his attention to Marinette. "Sweetheart, you okay? Talk to me." She was clearly out of it, her eyes are cloudy as she stares up at him. However, he needs to keep her talking to discern how far along the hypothermia's set in since, well, she wasn't dead yet.</p><p>"....no..." came the tired reply.</p><p>He swallows down the fear at that, "No?"</p><p>She presses her face against his chest. Very slowly, and with so much drowsy annoyance, she says, "You keep movin' and I wanna sleep, Richard."</p><p>"No no no," leaves Dick in a rush, before he calms himself. "You can't sleep just yet, sweetheart. Don't you wanna see Dami? Can't do that if you're sleeping."</p><p>Marinette whines in protest as he keeps running with her, "Dami would let me sleep."</p><p>She's <em>way</em> too lucid for how long she's been stuck in that freezer. She's definitely exhibiting symptoms of second stage hypothermia; her pulse isn't as strong, she's irritable and seems incredibly sleepy, but that shouldn't be.</p><p>"I bet he would," he needs to keep her talking. He needs her <em>awake</em>. They're a little ways away from the bulding's entrance, just a few more...."Because he's sweet like that, isn't he?" And then they're outside, and he's immediately handing her over Damian through the open Batmobile door. Damian's arms are already outstretched, and he gracefully, yet urgently takes her. He hadn't <em>looked</em> as panicked as he had been moments ago but Dick had seen the glazed over look in his eyes. And as soon as Damian saw her, the emotions in his eyes transform and alter in the span of a second, and then in the next, before he grabs a hold of her, his hands had been shaking. Tim immediately piles more and more blankets around her and she happily burrows into the warmth.</p><p>He taps the top of Batmobile, "<em>Drive</em>."</p><p>"What about..." Tim starts to say, and Dick shakes his head, catching Cassandra's eyes in the driver's seat.</p><p>"Ja — <em>Red Hood, </em>Bats and I have it covered. <em>Go</em>."</p><p>Cassandra gives him a single nod. He catches Damian murmuring to her, a hum low in his throat as he spoke to Marinette — <em>you'll be able to sleep soon, I promise, but I need you to stay awake for me okay</em> — and Marinette's irritable — <em>noooooooo</em> — of an answer before the Batmobile speeds off. He stands, and watches until the vehicle leaves his sight and then some.</p><p>With a heavy exhale, he walks back into the building. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Marinette lay in one of the hospital beds in the medbay. She looked smaller than usual, all bundled in the bed and tucked in amongst the multiple blankets, a water circulating blanket, socks on her feet and tubes. There was a pulse monitor on her right middle finger, one on her arm and a mask over her nose. There were multiple machines around her; a heart monitor, an oxygen machine and electrocardiogram machine. They had even brought out a forced hot air warmer to help with active warming. </p><p>However, after checking the monitors <em>numerous</em> times, and countless blood tests, there wasn't anything <em>wrong</em> with her. She hadn't gone into cardiac arrest, the rewarming process hadn't caused a significant afterdrop. Her blood glucose, electrolytes, and hematocrit levels were at a normal level, <em>fine. </em>Her heart rate was slower than it should be, but fine. Her chest was rising up and down. If one were to look at her and disregard the machinery, it was almost as if she were <em>sleeping</em>. </p><p>And for someone, like Marinette, who should have been experiencing <em>extreme</em> hypothermia, that shouldn't have been <em>possible</em>.</p><p>"What the fuck," Tim stares down at her. It had been odd from the beginning; Dick's recollection of his and Marinette's conversation plus his observation of her in the Batmobile proved she was much too lucid. Sure, she had drifted in and out of it, and there was a moment where they thought she had fully gone unconscious (<em>that</em> had been.....god). But, she could understand what they were saying. She could and would answer whatever they said when prompted. Loudly, even. But, she <em>shouldn't</em> have been. "Alfred, what the fuck?"</p><p>"Language, Master Timothy." The older man quips, but he was just as bewildered as his pseudo-grandson. Marinette's pupils hadn't dilated as one's would under hypothermia, her breathing was fine and her blood was circulating. </p><p>"Her brain activity's fine."</p><p>It was. He had double and triple-checked. "Yes."</p><p>"The blood tests don't match with what she should have."</p><p>"No, they do not."</p><p>"Her electrolytes aren't abnormal, her core body temperature hasn't hazardously dipped and there's no damage to her systems."</p><p>"No," Alfred finally sat in one of the chairs near her bedside. "No, there isn't."</p><p>"Alfred, what the fuck?"</p><p>The elder man rubbed his eyes, before meeting his gaze with a steady stare. "I am similarly confused, Master Timothy. By all accounts, this shouldn't be the <em>least</em> bit possible."</p><p>Marinette's symptoms aligned with second stage hypothermia: a slow, weak pulse, slowed breathing, lack of co-ordination, irritability, confusion and sleepy behaviour. Despite that, the test results didn't correlate with hypothermia at all. It all reported back as one's normal body processes and vitals while at rest. Additionally, she had stirred when they added more warmth around her. It wouldn't take long before she should become conscious.</p><p>Tim pulls a hand through his hair, "How — how are we supposed to explain this?" She had absolutely been trapped in that freezer, they <em>saw</em> the ransom video. And that freezer had been <em>on, </em>he'd turned it off himself.</p><p>Alfred wondered the same. "This...situation," he slowly says, because there's no other way to call it. "Where one can seemingly be dormant without any damage to their internal systems is only possible in organisms experiencing <em>hibernation</em>."</p><p>The heart monitor beeped steadily, and for a long moment, they simply watched her heart rate jumping neatly under the read-out of her pulse, at a loss for words.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The relief that overcame him when Alfred came out to let everyone know that she was finally awake was staggering, and it took another moment before he rushes from the common room. It had been an unnerving twenty-four hours, especially when Alfred explained that her conditioned hadn't lined up with what it should have, yet it still had her unconscious for whatever reason. Finally reaching the door, he exhales, bracing himself before opening it. </p><p>The sight of her sitting up, her eyes immediately finding him as soon as the door opens, <em>hits</em> him. The sight of her growing smile and her subdued voice calling, "Dami" overwhelms him. Taking a small step forward — more of a shuffle, really, the trembling of his body doesn't register.</p><p>If he'd lost her...he'd...</p><p>Another step.</p><p>He'd...</p><p>And Another.</p><p>He didn't know what he'd do.</p><p>Marinette's now frowning up at him, has been for his entire detached journey to her bedside, her features shifting — flickering of worry and confusion at his silence. Her gaze is soft yet piercing and her chest rises and falls as she takes in oxygen — as she breathes and moves — and she slowly raises a shaking, gentle, warm hand from the mounds of blankets to cup his cheek. "Damian?"</p><p>That is what did him in. Her touch brings him to his knees; the overwhelming, tidal wave of gratefulness and grief and love washing over him as he clutches her arms, as she lets out a sound of alarm at the suddenness of his descent. He uses one hand to cup her cheek, not minding her anxious questions at his dazed movements. Marinette's here. She's here and warm and alive and —</p><p>Damian's hand immediately go behind her head to draw her in, desperately, desperately, desperately molding their lips together. Marinette gets over her initial surprise and weakly attempts to keep up with his fervor and he focuses on the shuddering, breathy sighs he can taste of her every exhale, on the pulse beneath his fingers close to her throat because it clears the fog in his mind significantly. Because it means that she was here, that she was warm and she was alive and he had proof of it by the mewls she occasionally makes, her hands holding onto his shirt with a weak grip</p><p>He revels in the shuddering gasps he gains from her, feeling it echo throughout his entire being. He lets the noise spur him on, lets it go straight to his head. The sheer volume of emotion she was invoking in him makes him deepen it more than he already has; the kiss — as intense and fervent and heavy as it was, was also achingly worshipful and sweet and slow. Whereas his kissing had initially been inexperienced, a clumsy stroking of his lips against hers in the early days of their relationship, now he's able to take the lead, swallowing her gasp when he gently licks into her mouth,  addicting himself to the taste of her, the heat emitting from her. </p><p>He would've continued; every inch of him begging to just make sure — to remove the hollow feeling in his chest and the weariness of feeling all scraped out and make sure that she was okay, alive and warm, but then her tiny gasps get insistent, and her hands tap his stomach in a signal. </p><p>Damian quickly parts their lips, but keeps their foreheads connected, their lips only centimetres from fusing once more. The warm contact grounds him, and he keeps his eyes closed. Sucks in air. Remembers the cold, cold feel of her skin, but her breath puffs against his lips in a breathy, amused exhale and he trembles. </p><p>When he blinks his eyes open, he finds her staring at him, her blue eyes tired yet shining and looking so damn amused. Her fingertips have found the hair at his nape, playing with it as she whispers, a hum to her words, "So, you've clearly gotten better at kissing."</p><p>After everything, she's jumped back — talking as if her body hadn't shut down in front of him, as if she hadn't previously been having trouble speaking anything that was more than short words, short sentences. As if she hadn't had having trouble staying awake. Her cheek was steadyingly flushed under his palm, and a wrecked, vulnerable "Marinette...habibti, habib albi — " He rests his head on her shoulder, on top of the blankets draped over her, holding her closer. " — mon cœur, mon trésor, angel — "</p><p>"I know," her voice is apologetic, gentle against his ear. "I know, Dami. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that you had to see that. You had no idea what was happening...it must've been so horrible for you." His breath stutters and his throat clogs but he doesn't cry as she continues. "This hasn't been the first time it's happened, I would've been fine, I promise — "</p><p><em>This hasn't been the first time it's happened</em>. Her voice echoes in his ears as he tenses, and her voice goes high as she tries to reassure him that it really wasn't that bad. He draws back from her to seriously gaze into her eyes, his hold around her still strong, almost as if she would slip away from him.</p><p>"What," he rasps, and clears his throat for his second attempt. "What do you mean 'this hasn't been the first time it's happened'?"</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>"What do you <em> mean </em> this <em> 'hasn't been the first time it's happened' </em>?"</p><p>Marinette shrugs at Dick's exclamation, her shoulders jumping under her multiple blankets. "It hasn't. It's been this way ever since I was thirteen." Her head was burrowed under Damian's chin, who stays silent above her as the conversation continues, one of his hands passing through her hair and the other holding the edge of a blanket in place to ensure that no cold enters her cocoon.</p><p>"That little detail doesn't make it <em>better</em>, shortstack," Jason says, his arms folded as he pins her with a serious look. "In fact, that makes it worse."</p><p>Dick looks alarmed, whether at her answer or her nonchalance, she doesn't know. "And, you've never thought to — oh, I don't know — get it checked out by a <em> doctor </em>?"</p><p>"I did too!" She protests, her lips pulled into a pout at his worrying. "One time, there was a blackout in my arrondissement during the winter. Our heater was broken as well, so I fell asleep while buried in blankets — my parents tried to wake me up and when I hadn't done it immediately, they thought that I was experiencing hypothermia. So, they took me to the hospital. They didn't find anything so it wasn't so worrying. They thought it was the work of an akuma."</p><p>Tim exhales, taking a moment before he says, "Marinette. Everyone's core temperature is supposed to stay around ninety-eight point six degrees Fahrenheit — thirty-seven degrees Celsius." He finishes, when he see her mouth open to ask for clarification. "If it drops below ninety-five degrees, that's where hypothermia comes in. Your vital organs start to shut down. When your temperature hits ninety-one degrees, or thirty-three degrees Celsius, you can get amnesia. If it hits eighty-two degrees, you lose consciousness. At seventy degrees, the hypothermia gets <em> deadly </em>."</p><p>"The lowest recorded survival temperature that a human could endure is fifty-six point seven degrees Fahrenheit," Bruce eyes her, and when she opens her mouth, no doubt to ask for a conversion, he adds, " — thirteen point two degrees Celsius. And that woman was trapped under a layer of ice for eighty minutes in freezing water, suffered extreme hypothermia and suffered circulatory arrest after forty minutes in the water."</p><p>He folds his arms, his eyes narrowing, and Marinette burrows further into Damian, "You were in a fifty-<em>five</em> degree Fahrenheit freezer for fifty minutes and you only suffered a few symptoms of hypothermia, not even organ damaging ones. Confusion, shivering, lack-of co-ordination, unconsciousness — it was almost as if you just became incredibly sleepy. None of your vital organs were drastically affected, you didn't even experience circulatory arrest, lung deterioration or brain damage. We thought you were dead because, with your unresponsiveness, you looked like it. By all accounts, you <em> should </em>be dead."</p><p>"I...I should be, yes."</p><p>"Then why aren't you?"</p><p>A sharp nudge in Bruce's side makes him look at the culprit, and lands him on the receiving end of a glare from Dick. The expression on his eldest son's face says multiple things at once, namely <em> now is not the time for your meta-human conspiracy theory to start poking through </em> , but more importantly <em> maybe don't insinuate that she should have died when her boyfriend, who we had to calm down multiple times, is also currently in the room </em>. He even punctuates it with a subtle tilt of his head towards the two, where Marinette's squeezing Damian's hand in comfort after the teenager immediately tensed at the man's words.</p><p>Bruce grimaces, but doesn't reword it.</p><p>Marinette opens and closes her mouth as she attempts to find her words. She looks down, as if they'll rise up and materialize from the ground. And then, she looks contrite. "It's a long story..."</p><p>"We have enough time."</p><p>Jason raises an brow after Bruce's words, "I've proof-read your papers. You're great at summarizing; you'll mange."</p><p>There's a beat before she speaks, and when she does, it's soft. "You remember when you guys found out about the situation in Paris?"</p><p>Oh, do they. It had been after she became Damian's girlfriend, and needless to say, they had been <em>horrified</em>. Bruce especially, since he'd never seen any record of it through the Justice League. The other League members hadn't known either. They had been even more upset when they discovered (not intentionally, only because Marinette's <em>very</em> loose-lipped when she's sleepy) that Ladybug sometimes <em>used</em> Marinette as a civilian aid in a climate where Ladybug and Chat Noir's identities were wanted by a domestic <em>theorist</em> (which had been a hasty cover story to prevent them from finding out the truth). <em>That</em> had led to Bruce chastising her alter-ego for "bringing an innocent" into that mess, even if she was a "trusted, close friend," and Damian having an issue with Ladybug in the early days. It had smoothed out now, but it had been a <em>mess</em> for her.</p><p>If Bruce was confused about the switch in topics, he didn't show it. "What about it?"</p><p>"Well," Marinette reflexively shot out a hand to wave it, and Damian immediately covered the gap that appeared with the blanket moving. "I know you had a thing against Ladybug — "</p><p>Dick frowns, "She was a <em>child</em>. We didn't hate her, we hated the situation you two were in that made her feel like she had to make the decisions that she did on her own."</p><p>"Yes, yes," Marinette shakes him off, and the others agreeing nods. "But, um....what if — what if I told you that <em>I'm</em> Ladybug?"</p><p>The room deadly silent, and she winces at their wide eyes. Damian's arms slacken from their hold around her. his body tensing. Tim's the first one to break it.</p><p>"That's," He sighs, looking every bit as drained. "Marinette, that's not possible." She doesn't know what expression is on her face, but he interrupts her before she speaks. "We've analysed <em>every single</em> audio recording, security camera footage, published interviews....we've even <em>met</em> her." She guesses that the research into her identity must've been before they met her. "You two look <em>nothing</em> alike. If you are her, I will get up on the manor's roof and <em>jump</em> off."</p><p>Jason seemed like he was actually contemplating it, "They suspected you early on, but well; you don't like alike, you don't <em>sound</em> alike, she's much taller that you and your hair and eye colour is different. We ruled you out almost immediately since the civilian aid thing seemingly explain everything."</p><p>Dick frowns, "Not to mention, how does that pertain to you defying science and biology?"</p><p>Bruce says nothing, eyes narrowed. Damian's also silent.</p><p>Marinette winces, <em>sorry Tim</em>. "Tikki, <em>transform me</em>!"</p><p>Pink light engulfs her almost immediately. Having been laying in her pajama pocket, Tikki's just as tired as she is in reaction to the cold, but still has enough power left in her. Damian steps back in surprise, and curses fly freely throughout the room. Definitely from Jason. And when the light fades, she's left staring back everyone else's silent, and astonished states. </p><p>"Uh," Marinette eyes every single one of them. "<em>Surprise</em>?"</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>"So, because you two have been bonded for so long," Dick rubs his index finger on Tikki's head, the kwami sleepily enjoying the movement. "You've adopted her animalistic traits?"</p><p>Marinette hums from where she sat buried in Damian's neck, "Unfortunately. Winter's hell for me, or even when the AC is on high. I can bear it, but I would very much like to be <em>anywhere</em> else. Since the Ladybug miraculous is one of the two strongest ones, the holders experience the side-effects differently. When I fully experience hibernation, I can withstand temperatures and conditions that Ladybugs can. Even if I'm put in something warmer, it will take a while before I wake back up."</p><p>Of course, Damian was running over every single interaction and oddity of Marinette in the past three years. "I had thought it odd that you had some aversion to the cold, but when I checked your medical records, I saw that you weren't anemic."</p><p>"I thought I told you <em>not</em> to do that." Dick narrows his eyes at him. Marinette waves a hand. After knowing Damian and the Waynes for so long, it didn't bother her.</p><p>Tim peers at Tikki from above, "Alfred and I were loosing our minds trying to figure out how the hell you could survive <em>hypothermia</em>. You've adopted <em>all</em> ladybug traits? Do you bleed poison from your joints? Do you have cravings for aphids?"</p><p>"Uh, yes and yes."</p><p>"<em>What</em>?"</p><p>Marinette sputters at Jason's exclamation, "I don't do it unless I'm in Ladybug mode! Well, the poison thing. Plus, it's not <em>poison</em>! It just makes people feel light-headed and is built into the Ladybug suit. I rarely use it."</p><p>"So not a Spiderman thing," Tim mutters. "And the aphids?"</p><p>"......don't knock 'em until you try 'em."</p><p>"Gross."</p><p>Bruce had been silent up until this point, and eventually says, "Is this why you didn't want Batman and the Justice League to investigate further?"</p><p>She frowns, "I allowed you all to investigate — "</p><p>"Only into Hawkmoth's identity. Now, of course, we obviously didn't stop there. But, you were very clear about that, as well as not stepping foot in Paris."</p><p>"I <em>did</em> say that no one could know my identity," Marinette exhales. "But, I also remember saying that it was to avoid <em>Hawkmoth</em> gaining that information should any of you get akumatized. Even now, it's more crucial. I don't want <em>any</em> of you stepping foot into Paris."</p><p>"We won't, Short Stack. Don't worry." Jason reassures. "Well, except for when they have business to conduct in Paris."</p><p>There's a beat before Bruce punctures it, "I want to examine both you and the kwami as soon as you get better. I want to ensure we know <em>all</em> of your limits."</p><p>Marinette sniffs with a small smile. She understood the roundabout order for what it was; should she be kidnapped again, he cared enough to want to be sure that wherever she ended up wouldn't kill her as a result of her superhero side-effects. Still, her voice was teasing when she says, ridiculously mimicking Bruce's voice, "I'm sorry for almost jumping down your throat earlier, Marinette." Switching to her voice, she answers herself, "Oh, it's okay, Mr. Wayne. You were just very unnerved on coming across something you didn't understand, I get it."</p><p>The man eyes, unamused. She grins back at him, in the midst of Jason's snorts and Dick's tiny chuckles. She can even tell that Damian's smiling a little above her. </p><p>"Anyway," The chuckles become more pronounced. "Get some rest, Marinette."</p><p>"Night, Mr. Wayne." Marinette calls out. And the others go about their separate ways as well; Dick kisses her forehead and relinquishes Tikki back in her grasp, Jason messes with her hair before he dashes upstairs and Tim pats her mused head as he leaves. </p><p>Marinette goes to snuggle back under Damian once more when he does it for her, albeit <em>urgently</em>; he immediately presses her close to him and bundles her within the folds of the blanket post-haste. She can't help the look of surprise when her eyes look up at him.</p><p>When he realizes that yes, she is staring, he questions, "Are you cold?"</p><p>She nods slowly, confusion evident in the jerk of her chin. "I'm a little chilly," Alfred had turned up the temperature in the living room, given her state. "But, it's okay." He nods, but his gaze is far away as he tightens his grip on her. "Hey," There's a softness to her tone and a gentleness that appears in her voice when she raises a hand to cup his cheek. "I'm really fine."</p><p>"Are you?" He glances down at her, his eyes burning her, as if she's the sole thing keeping him anchored in this moment. His voice is as hushed as hers, vulnerable. </p><p>She plays with the hair at his nape, "Yes. I'm okay."</p><p>Her answer makes him shift them around slightly, dipping his head down to rest in the juncture between her shoulder and neck. He breathes in, slow and deep. Exhales the same way.</p><p>A kiss sounds from where is mouth is on her skin. And it trails more kisses on her neck, on her jaw, and finally, her lips.</p><p>When they separate, he finally says, "Okay." And then, he draws her into her shoulder to rest. Marinette closes her eyes at the contact, inhaling and exhaling.</p><p>She's fine. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Now: onto the after-chapter notes.</p><p>(1) How did this happen? How did Marinette get kidnapped? Who kidnapped her? What sort of timeline are you using to place this story in? Will there ever be a fully-written version of this? Answer: I don't know, No idea, Not a clue, Four years into meeting Damian and his family and dating him (which happens around the same time Paris has it's first akuma attack) and....maybe? </p><p>I thought of this like...<em>months</em> ago and is only now making it presentable because I wanted to get it out for New Years. There are way too many ideas I have concerning these two, including a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardian:_The_Lonely_and_Great_God">Goblin</a> AU, but....making them presentable to read is a challenge. </p><p>See that series it's in? There's where all the ideas I have, yet will never attempt to make an entire detailed, multi-chaptered fic about, go. This fic, and others in this series, just....is. I'm staring god in the face and walking backwards into hell with my laptop.</p><p>(2) Ladybugs do not fly if the temperature drops below 55ºF (13ºC). They break out of diapause when the temperature reaches above 55ºF. I like the idea of the Miraculouses having side-effects on their wielders, and I wish it was actually a thing in-canon (as well as actual developed lore concerning the kwamis) but that's what AO3 is for. </p><p>(3) The coldest recorded body temperature a person has ever survived is 56.7ºF (13.2ºC), which belongs to a woman named Anna Bågenholm, who fell into a frozen stream while skiing in 1999. </p><p>(4) Yes, I'm still writing <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/21663577/chapters/51661528">the reports associated with my existence have been significantly misconstrued</a>, don't worry. It's just being difficult right now. </p><p>Happy New Year! Last Year was horrible for most, and here's hoping that this new strain of the virus won't make the year worse than the last. Thank you so much for reading and I'll see you in the next one!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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